Bezirksmuseum Floridsdorf

The Bezirksmuseum Floridsdorf sits in the Mautner Schlössl, a villa built in 1900 by Georg Heinrich Mautner von Markhof. The building was later baroquised by his son and now stands under Denkmalschutz. The museum was founded in 1933 by Josef Tomschik and others, with Franz Haider among the early supporters. After wartime closures and bomb damage, it reopened in 1960 at its present site. The collections focus on the Danube’s left bank, early steamships, railway history and local district lore.

The villa’s secessionist style was designed by Friedrich Dietz von Weidenberg, a locally active architect. After the Second World War the city bought the building for municipal use. In 1953 the museum moved into the third floor, then relocated fully in 1960 after renovations. A nearby park, named for local historian Hans Smital, was dedicated in 1966 with a memorial stone. Exhibitions have ranged from Othmar Wundsam’s Alpine watercolours to the history of Floridsdorf’s elevated railway.

Inside, rooms display artefacts from the 1872 Nordwestbahn to post-war American presence. Temporary shows have covered Jugendstil architecture and medical history. The building’s Walmdach and historic interiors frame changing displays. Outside, the Hans-Smital-Park offers a quiet green space beside the museum.